OREGON SILVERSPOT BUTTERFLY RESEARCH TECHNICIAN NEEDED IMMEDIATELY!
The Conservation Biology lab at WSU Vancouver is recruiting one full time technician to join our team researching the endangered Oregon silverspot butterfly on the Oregon Coast. We will be conducting a mark- recapture study to understand butterfly dispersal and survival rates across a network of coastal meadows. Work will involve daily butterfly surveys, netting and marking adult butterflies, and vegetation sampling. We are working at Rock Creek area of the Oregon Coast, just south of Cape Perpetua. Field team will consist of a postdoc, Erica Henry, and two field technicians.
Dates: Mid-July – mid-September. We will consider one-month commitments (Mid-July – Mid-August and Mid-August – Mid-September) to accommodate the academic calendar.
Schedule: Because we never know what days are going to be “good” days for butterflies – sunny and calm, we need to have two people available to mark, count and release butterflies every day. That means each person on the team will work five days and have two days off. Days off will be staggered so that there are always two people working – this means that days off are unlikely to align with regular weekend days. We will identify the schedule once the crew is assembled. Days off for previously scheduled commitments may be accommodated if additional staffing can be arranged.
Housing: We have a campsite reserved at the USFS Rock Creek campground for technicians to share. We will provide a canopy for the picnic table, a two-burner stove and a propane tank, and a solid cooler for food. Technicians will have to provide their own tent/sleeping bag/pad. Cell coverage at the site is very limited; we will provide a Garmin InReach GPS that will allow for two-way texting from the campsite.
Pay: $14/hour, 40 hours/week
Qualifications: Main qualifications are enthusiasm, flexibility, and curiosity! Previous experience netting and handling insects and using binoculars a plus, but not required.
We welcome applicants of all races, gender identities, religions, sexual orientations, and ages. We believe having a diverse team that can approach questions from numerous viewpoints makes us all better scientists.
If interested, please send a Resume or CV, contact information for two references, and a brief cover letter detailing your interest in the position and any relevant experience to Erica Henry erica_henry@wsu.edu. Application review will begin ASAP.